Mirrors of Time
by Deidara the Arrancar Alchemist
Summary: Whilst trying to arrest one of Ireland's most wanted criminals, Skulduggery and Valkyrie are mysteriously transported through time through a strange mirror...
1. Chapter 1

MIRRORS OF TIME

_Disclaimer: I do not own Skulduggery Pleasant or any characters or events, even though I wish I did! _

_Ok, this story is just something I pieced together really quickly, so I apologize if it's terrible. And it probably won't make a lot of sense. This is meant to be set somewhere between books 1 and 2 by the way._

CHAPTER ONE CAPTURED

Valkyrie Cain groaned as she slammed into the firm concrete wall, rebounding off the uneven surface and falling to her knees and plaster crumbling into her hair. She had time to feel the first bruises well up on her elbows and back before a fist rammed into her sight, and she cried out in pain as the hard knuckles hit her between the eyes. Her eyesight failed her for a while, and through blurred vision she could see a trickle of red caught in her eyelashes, and realize that her opponent had cut open her head.

She stumbled to her feet and snapped her fingers, trying to ignite a spark, but nothing came and she ducked as her adversary threw a blow at her head. She felt the air whoosh over her head as it missed her by a milometer.

The thirteen year old girl leapt to one side out of harm's way and scrambled up the rusty scaffolding, trying to get out of range, but she was dragged down again by the ankles, and cried out as she was thrown to the damp, dusty wooden floor.

They were fighting in an old, isolated manor that overlooked Ireland's rugged coastline, the building teetering off the edge, on the verge of falling into the ocean's embrace. The government had tried to restore the old thing, but their work had been abandoned and now it was a hollow, treacherous corpse.

Valkyrie rolled aside as a foot slammed down where she had been a few moments before, and she felt where the air connected with her hands and thrust her palms out, displacing the air as it rippled forwards.

Her attacker was thrown of her feet with a surprised yelp, and she growled in frustration as Valkyrie tentatively approached the fallen assailant, prepared to attack in case she tried to move.

"Huh?!" exclaimed Valkyrie as suddenly her opponent disappeared in a flash of transparent smoke, vanishing literally into thin air. She looked around, trying to see where they had got to, and found the gloomy room empty. She frowned in confusion.

"Where did she go" muttered Valkyrie.

She gasped for air as her windpipe was suddenly cut off. She was thrown against a cracked wall, held in place by seemingly nothing. A strained squeak escaped her lips, her feet kicking out wildly as she struggled to break free.

There was a laugh edged in malice, and her attacker reappeared in front of her, her hands grasped firmly around Valkyrie's throat.

Valkyrie cursed her stupidity, remembering that her foe was an Adept, and the report she had read at the Sanctuary told her that Phoenix's power was the ability to become invisible, as well as remarkable agility and strength due to rigorous training.

Instinctively, Valkyrie but deep into her attacker's arm, and heard a satisfying scream as she drew blood. She dropped as the hands holding her against the wall were removed, grunting as she fell on her backside. She attempted to run away, opening her mouth to call out for Skulduggery, but suddenly as weight that felt like the world crashing upon her colliding with the back of her head.

The world paused a while, and then the black fog fell like the curtains closing at the end of a theatre production over her mind. _Bugger_ was her final though before she knew no more.

Slowly but surely, her consciousness returned, and she moaned as the ache of her injuries reminded her of what had just happened. She made a quick metal note that if she got out of this, she would go straight to Kenspeckle Grouse and get patched up.

She could feel a rough, long thing binding her hands, and she registered it as rope. She had been tied up.

The girl opened her eyes, and blinked hard as she strained through the gloom. She was in a different room to the one she had been fighting in. She could feel a breeze tickling her face as it flew in through one of the missing walls. She could see the sea from here, dark and angry as it threw itself at the rocks. But now wasn't the time to enjoy the dramatic view.

She turned her head awkwardly behind her and saw she was tied to the post of a creaky old bed. She could see that the mattress was soggy and had springs piercing through the squishy material. She guessed this was once a bedroom. A door was located on the far wall to her right, but it was locked, of course. Looking around, she saw nothing that could be of use to her or anything interesting. Except one thing.

A full length mirror dominated the far wall, and as she turned her head to get a better look at it, she was surprised to find no reflection, just a glassy, dull surface, bleak as moorland in winter.

Valkyrie tensed when she heard a noise from downstairs. Her heartbeat raced as she heard footsteps approached. She prayed it was Skulduggery, and dreaded it to be her attacker, back to inflict more pain.

An everlasting moment passed.

The footsteps faded.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. She knew it wouldn't have been Skulduggery: his footsteps would have been lighter, and maybe he wouldn't have made any noise at all.

She sighed. It would be a long wait before the Skeleton Detective found her. She had no idea where he was, and she had last seen him sneaking around the back of the decrepit old mansion.

"Go in through the side exit," he had told her as he briefed her on the mission under the grounds' thick shrubbery. "I'll try and corner her and keep her distracted. When I give the signal, catch her by surprise."

"What's the signal?" she asked.

"This" he said, and gave a little nod of his head.

"Very original" she commented drily. "What if the plan doesn't work?"

"It won't," replied the living skeleton, a touch of hurt in his voice. "Keep an eye out for her and any accomplices she might have. This woman's a dangerous, not to mention an absolute lunatic."

Valkyrie made a small noise and shifted uncomfortably.

"Sure you can handle this?" he asked softly.

"Of course I am," said Valkyrie jutting her chin out defiantly. She looked determinedly into Skulduggery's infinite, empty eye sockets. "It will be a piece of cake."

Valkyrie was supposed to be keeping an eye on one of Ireland's most wanted criminals, a difficult case and a lot of responsibility for such a young girl. But she and Skulduggery were an efficient team, and her mentor and friend had decided that she was up for a challenge. I mean, it's not as if she was going up against someone as ruthless as Nefarious Serpine, right? She thought she could handle it.

She now realized her mistake. Her target had sneaked up on _her_, not the other way around.

Where the hell was Skulduggery!? He was mean to have distracted their target, but he had left her to be savagely hurt and tied in up in a decaying old mansion with a madwoman. She hoped he was alright. There must be something wrong. Skulduggery was never caught unawares.

She leaned back and yelped in pain as her hand touched something sharp. Looking down, she saw it was a half-rusted nail, and that specks of blood had appeared on her palm.

Her eyes widened as she though of a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

MISERY

The door opened with an almighty crash, the figure of the newcomer backlit against an old light bulb in the corridor that spat out a flurry of sparks. They entered the room, closing the door behind her, the light extinguished as she did so. Valkyrie gasped and dropped the nail she had in her hands. She watched in dismay as it clattered to the floor and rolled away underneath the bed. She hoped her efforts had been enough.

Slow, ominous footsteps approached her, and she looked up as her target stood in front of her.

Misery Shade was a tall, incredibly beautiful woman. Her hair was a blazing red, the colour of wildfire's breath, and her skin was as pale as fresh paper. She was a slender woman, but under her flowing coat and tight-fitting outfit there were rippling muscles. Valkyrie was trying to arrest this stunning woman because she was wanted for murder and arson, and the most important of all; she had been helping the likes of Mevolent and Serpine in the war and was a firm believer in the Faceless Ones.

Valkyrie shuddered when she caught sight of the red-head's eyes. They were blood-shot and as black as the dark side of the moon, huge orbs that burned with an insanity so intense that Valkyrie wanted to curl up inside.

"You little, foolish brat," said Misery in a voice that sounded like the flutter of moths in moonlight, but was edged in a choked, hysterical shriek. "Did you think you could arrest me?"

A fist shot forwards and struck her cheek, and Valkyrie cried out at the impact, her jaw throbbing.

"Did you!?" repeated Misery, her voice rising dangerously high.

Valkyrie didn't reply. She was too busy trying to tug apart the ropes biting into her wrists. The nail wasn't the most effective of tools, but she had half severed her bonds, and she was sure that a few hard pulls would split the ropes, and she'd be free.

Misery hunkered down in front of her, a wicked grin on her perfect lips. Valkyrie turned her face away, but the criminal grabbed her chin and forced her to face her.

"Your skeleton friend won't help you, little bitch," said Misery. "I dealt with him in an instant. This power of mine, invisibility, is so useful. You should have seen his face. He didn't stand a chance."

"You're lying!" said Valkyrie, trying to distract her from her nimble-working hands. "You're just saying that to make me feel scared, to make me weak. You nutcases are all the same."

_SLAM_, and another fist came crashing into her stomach, knocking the breath out of her. She wore her armoured clothing, specially designed for her by the tailor Ghastly Bespoke, but Misery was incredibly strong. She double over and felt tears of pain in her eyes and blearily gazed up at the criminal through her locks of dark hair, watching her attacker cackle sadistically.

"The Skeleton Detective is dead," she laughed. "I destroyed him myself. I laid a trap for him and he blundered straight into it. Shall I tell you?"

Valkyrie glared at her.

"There is a cellar beneath this house," explained Misery, wickedness in her eyes. "And a trap door leading down to it. I filled the cellar with a tub of acid, and positioned it directly below the door." Her grin widened. "I lured him over to me, and when he was running towards me, I pulled a lever, and guess what happens? Poor mister skeleton falls down a pit and into a tub of acid that has dissolved his bones to dust by now!" She cackled like a pantomime witch.

Valkyrie felt a shiver of dread in her heart. She refused to believe Skulduggery had been dispatched so easily. Her fierce emotion gave her extra strength, and with a final tug, the ropes snapped and Valkyrie lashed out both of her legs, and Misery flew across the room, shrieking.

At the same time, the door burst open again, and a familiar person stood before her.

"Valkyrie!" cried Skulduggery, rushing to her side.

"Let's get out of here" she said, getting shakily to her feet with the aid of Skulduggery.

The duo ran to the door, the open entrance urging them on. They were a foot from the door when suddenly it slammed shut, the noise more sinister than the sound of a cell door closing. Misery stood before it, hissing like a viper.

"I killed you!" she cried, pointing a shaking finger at Skulduggery. "It's not possible!"

"Actually it is," replied Skulduggery, as calm as ever. "Now, would you be so kind as to move out of the way so we can escape?"

Misery snarled and withdrew a gun from her coat.

"I take that as a no" said Skulduggery.


	3. Chapter 3

_Yay! Another chapter! By the way, I really suck at writing humour, so forgive me if it sounds lame._

MIRROR WORLD

Valkyrie cried out as Misery Shade fired a shot at her, dodging just in time as the bullet hissed past her head, so close that it brushed her hair.

Another loud crack pierced the air as the madwoman shot another bullet, and she leapt aside, trying to evade the attack. But as she did so, Valkyrie realized her mistake, wishing she had dodged the other way.

She shrieked as she landed against a slightly wet and sticky surface. As soon as she collided with it, she felt it come alive and lick at her body, making sickening slurping sounds. She tried to pull herself away, but she was caught like an insect in a Venus fly trap. With a final scream of horror and a glimpse of Skulduggery darting towards her, she was pulled back through the surface into darkness.

"Valkyrie!" Skulduggery cried as the mirror than did not reflect absorbed his companion, pulling her from reality. He lunged forward, regardless of Misery's volley of bullets, trying to grab her leg.

However, the sinister mirror was too quick, and Valkyrie had disappeared. The shots ended, replaced by an equally threatening noise. Misery laughed manically, her voice still as beautiful as sunshine on rippling waves despite the madness in her soul.

"Your friend is gone, abomination" she cackled.

"What have you done?" growled the detective. He prepared himself for attack, sensing the fault lines in the air.

"It is not my doing," she replied. "This house once belonged to an old but powerful Necromancer, and he had all manner of strange objects in his possession. This is just one of his favourites: an enchanted mirror." She paused, then smirked. "Now, where were we?"

Skulduggery had quick reactions, but Misery's speed was akin to a striking serpent. She pushed him roughly, and before he knew it, he too was pushed into the mirror's cold embrace.

Valkyrie awoke groggily for the second time in a few minutes. She felt something prickly but not unpleasant on her skin. She opened her eyes and gasped at what lay above her.

A beautiful, starry night sky loomed above her, the darkness spattered with iridescent stars that sparkled like scattered coins on a black carpet. A crescent moon hung like a pale sickle to her left, shining eerily. She could feel a light wind on her bare cheeks, a little cold but not to bad. She could hear water lapping at a pebbled shore to her right, as well as the ghostly shrill shriek of an owl as it glided across her vision like an ethereal spirit.

She sat up, wincing as she did so. The bruises still burned with dull fire. She searched the area, looking at her surroundings, as well as for Skulduggery. She spotted him near the edge of a rocky beach beside a glistening, black lake. She stumbled over to him, hoping he was alright.

"Skulduggery" she said. No response. Concerned, she poked him on his bony shoulder. Still no response.

Her heart beat quickened. What was wrong with him? She shook him gently but firmly, trying to coax some action into him. "Hey!" she shouted.

"What?!" he cried, jolting up, pulling his gun from his side. He looked around, a breathed out a relieved sigh as he spotted Valkyrie. "Phew, it's only you."

"For crying out loud, you nearly made me jump out my skin!" she exclaimed. "Don't do that again!"

"I'll make a note of that" he said as he got to his feet.

"Where are we?" whispered the girl, afraid all of a sudden.

"I don't know" he replied, looking around.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean that at this moment in time, I do not know yet where we have ended up, how we got here, and for what purpose."

"Oh."

There was a long pause.

"Wait a minute…" the living skeleton said softly. His words trailed off as he cocked his head to one side. Valkyrie knew him well enough to know that he was thinking deeply.

Suddenly, he ran off through a tangle of bushes and trees, leaving Valkyrie alone.

"Hey!" she cried, and ran after him, every step sending fresh pain through her bruised body.

Skulduggery eventually slowed down, but she knew he was impatient to get moving. She jogged beside him and asked "What's going on? Where are we going?"

"I think I know where we are," he explained. "The lake, the woods here, they're all familiar. But I can't remember why. It was so long ago since I came here. 300 years to be precise."

The forest soon thinned out and a hill leapt into view. They stopped and looked up at it. Perched on top of the hill was quite a large cottage, the windows lit welcomingly by the soft, yellow glow of firelight, smoke puffing from the chimney. A dirt track led up to the cottage, twisting up the hill like a random doodle drawn by an artist lacking inspiration.

"Oh my word…" mumbled Skulduggery, shock in his voice.

"What is it?" asked Valkyrie, fed up of asking all the questions and getting, vague, half-answered responses.

"Hide!" said Skulduggery in a hushed tone all of a sudden.

He darted into the shadows of the thicket, Valkyrie ducking in beside him. She cautiously peered through the leaves, ready to ignite a flame in her palm. After a few moments, nothing happened.

"What-" she began.

"Shh!" he replied.

The she saw the man approach.

He was tall, slender but wiry, with broad shoulders. In the gloom Valkyrie could see that his hair was a light brown colour and grew in soft tufts, and his skin was like porcelain in the moonlight. His clothes were very unusual, something you would see in a TV programme about a period drama. He wore shiny boots that were spattered with mud, black trousers, a white lien shirt and a dark green jacket. In a belt around d his waist was what appeared to be a dagger in its sheath and on the other side an ornate pistol. His face appeared to be quite handsome, with high, angular cheekbones, a perfectly straight nose and thin eyebrows. His eyes were wary yet calm, a piercing blue the colour of a summer sky. He walked confidently with an air of grace and authority, striding along the path to the hilltop cottage.

"Who is that?" breathed Valkyrie once the man had passed them.

"That," replied Skulduggery. "Is me."


	4. Chapter 4

SUNSHINE AND ROSES

"That's you?!" cried Valkyrie.

"Yes it is" replied the Skeleton detective calmly.

"But how?" asked Valkyrie confused. "You're here, next to me. How is that possible?"

"That is a good question," said Skulduggery, turning to face her. "My theory is that if I am both there and here, it must suggest that somehow we have ended up in the past."

"You mean we've gone back in time?" asked Valkyrie, gob-smacked and doubtful. Time travel was impossible. Wasn't it? Ever since she had met Skulduggery, she had heard of stranger things.

Skulduggery nodded confidently.

"Are you sure your skull is screwed on properly?" she said.

"Tight as a screw," he answered, giving his head a bony tap. "I think I know myself when I see myself. That was me 300 years ago, and I used to live in that cottage on top of the hill. So yes, we have gone back in time."

"How?" she asked, still unable to get her head around what was going on.

"That mirror in the old house," said Skulduggery, pacing backwards and forwards like a caged greyhound, wanting to be let loose and investigate these bizarre events. "A crazy Necromancer used to live there. Capricorn Thistle I think it was. Mad as a hatter. Anyway, he was remembered for collecting all kinds of freaky objects, most of them as sinister as his personality. A Mirror of Time was bound to be in his collection."

"Skulduggery," asked Valkyrie, suddenly feeling uneasy. "How are we meant to get back?"

There was a long pause. He stopped pacing.

"That is a mystery indeed" he finally said.

"You don't know?!" wailed the girl. She was engulfed in a terrible fear, and it suffocated her like an anvil on her chest. What if they couldn't get back? She would be trapped in the past forever, waiting hundreds of years before she was born, watching herself grow up and… she didn't know what would happen next.

"I don't know at the moment," said Skulduggery, his voice as calm as the ocean before a tsunami. "But I will do later. That's how things usually work. In the meantime, I suggest we follow myself and see what happens. Sound fun?"

"I guess…" muttered Valkyrie.

"Remember, stay out of sight. We don't want to mess up time."

Valkyrie nodded in agreement, and followed Skulduggery up the path, staying under the cover of darkness.

They eventually caught up with the younger, living Skulduggery, taking care to be as stealthy as possible. Valkyrie hardly dared to breathe in case the living Skulduggery turned around. Glancing at the skeletal Skulduggery, she realized that he stood as still as a statue, so silent and motionless that it was as if someone had clicked the pause button on a TV remote control at him.

_Show off _she thought to herself.

Living Skulduggery finally reached the door, and knocked lightly on it. He waited patiently for it to be answered, hands in his pockets and leaning against the door frame casually. After a few seconds, the door swung open and living Skulduggery walked in, a smile on his lips. However, the person opened the door could not be seen at the angle they were hiding at. Valkyrie guessed whoever it was must be a friend or something.

Once the door had closed, Skulduggery motioned for her to g forwards with a long, skeletal finger. As they edged closer to the cottage, Valkyrie noticed something different in the way that her friend walked. He seemed tense, as if whatever was going to happen next would be bad.

They crept to a window, peeking over the windowsill inside. Valkyrie couldn't help but smile, but her happiness was edged with sorrow.

The window gave them a view of a cosy lounge. A cauldron bubbled and spat steam over the hearth in a fireplace, the room lit by the fire's glow and lots of candles placed randomly through the room. It was surprisingly bright, so Valkyrie guessed that the candles were enhanced magically. On the far side of the room was a large, mahogany table surrounded by 4 chairs. There were also kitchen cabinets on the walls. A wooden staircase split the two sides of the room in half. On the other side of the room was a comfy sofa with a brightly coloured dug sprawled out before it. There were pictures in the room showing usually landscape scenes, as well as a lot of bouquets of flowers in porcelain vases.

Sitting on the sofa was a pretty young woman. She was willowy and of average height, with long blond curls tumbling from her head. They shimmered in the candlelight whenever she moved. Her eyes were a bright green, and were wide and framed by long lashes. Her lips had a slight pout, and when she smiled it was beautiful enough to rival China. She wore a simple purple dress, which had a navy blue sash across the waist and was embodied with little stars. She wore pearl earrings and many different kinds of bangle on her arms, which tinkled when ever she moved her arms.

"Skulduggery" she murmured in a voice that was like an angel's. Skulduggery, still smiling, sat down beside her.

"Aurora," said the younger Skulduggery in a voice that Valkyrie recognised. She felt the skeletal Skulduggery shift uncomfortably beside her.

"You were gone so long that I didn't think you were coming back," the woman called Aurora continued. "Almost a month has passed since you left."

Skulduggery sighed. "Well, at least I'm back now. How have you been?"

"Not too bad," Aurora replied. "Nothing much has happened in our little cottage. Oh, actually there has! Rose has been trying out some of the harder spells you gave to her, and now I think she'll grow up to be better than you."

"Is that so?" said Skulduggery, his eyes full of pride. "And where is that gifted young daughter of mine?"

"Here!" said a small voice. They turned their heads to watch a little girl of about ten years old scurry downstairs. Her chestnut hair was tied up in a long plait, her sea green eyes bright with happiness as she ran over to her father, Skulduggery.

"I've missed you so much!" she said, hugging him.

"Me too, Rose," he replied, holding the little girl tightly in his arms.

It would make a lovely picture. A young couple and their daughter, living in a pleasant hilltop cottage, closely bonded by their love for each other. This was the life that Skulduggery once lived. Before everything changed…

Valkyrie heard the older Skulduggery turn away and run, his footfalls soft on the grass. She turned around, and saw him tear down the hill, roughly pushing aside brambles as he fled the bitter-sweet memory.

She glanced back to the cottage, and saw Skulduggery holding Aurora's delicate hand. "My sunshine…" he whispered.

Valkyrie couldn't watch this anymore. She sighed and slowly followed the route Skulduggery had took when he fled, hoping to catch up with him.


	5. Chapter 5

_Last chapter now! ____ I hope you've enjoyed the fan-fic as much as I did! Sorry if it isn't very good, I wrote this at 6 0 clock in the morning when I only just got up! Reviews are very much welcome, as are criticisms and ideas. _

LAKE SHORE

Valkyrie soon found the Skeleton Detective by the shores of the lake where they had entered the world of the past. He sat with his arms elbows on his knees, his lanky form bathed in moonlight, his head hung. He was an image of utter sorrow.

The girl cautiously stepped out from the thicket, taking in a deep breath. She had heard stories of Skulduggery's rage; of how when he returned to life he was filled with dark vengeance because his family had been murdered. They had seen his family just then, seen them happy together. She hoped he wouldn't take his anger out on her.

He didn't look up when she approached. She didn't expect him to. "Skulduggery?" she said softly. He didn't move an inch. Hesitating at first, she eventually sat down beside him, but not too close. She glanced at him, his hollow eye sockets reflecting the hollowness in his broken heart, a heart he no longer had beating in his chest.

For a few seconds, they sat there in a silence broken only by the water lapping the lake shore. The black, glossy water licked at the smooth grey pebbles, a cold wind rippling the cold surface. After a while, Valkyrie risked skimming a stone, watching it bounce gracefully over the water five times before sinking with a plopping sound.

The noise seemed to awaken Skulduggery from his deep trance, and he rose his head and sighed like a defeated soldier.

"Skulduggery?" Valkyrie tried again. "Are you alright?"

"Great" he answered back, his voice flat without emotion.

"OK" said Valkyrie quietly, edging away a little. She paused for a long time. "That was your family, wasn't it?"

His shoulders slumped. "Yes" he replied, almost whispering.

"Your wife," said Valkyrie carefully and gently. "She's very pretty."

"Thank you," he said numbly. "Aurora. My sunshine…"

For a few moments, there was only the sound of the wind.

"Stephanie" aid Skulduggery all of a sudden. At first, Valkyrie thought he was calling her by her given name. She was about to remind him of this when he continued. "That was her given name once. Stephanie."

"Really?" asked Valkyrie softly. She edged closer to him to comfort him.

"And Rose," said Skulduggery. "She had a great life ahead of her. So talented."

Valkyrie risked giving him a pat on the back, very lightly. He didn't flinch or shake her off, so it must have been a good thing.

Suddenly, and quite shockingly, he grabbed her in a full hug, squeezing her tightly. Valkyrie squeaked in surprise, but then calmed down when he relaxed his grip a little. They sat there like that for a few minutes, watching the ripples on the slate-like water.

He sighed then let go of her, running a hand over his face. He looked down at his skeletal hands for a moment, then clenched them and gritted his teeth. Valkyrie thought he was psyching himself up, ready to take his dark aggression out on someone. Valkyrie shuffled away a little, prepared to run away.

But she gave a relieved sigh when he realized that he was not angry at all, but determined, determined to defeat the black ghosts of his past and put it all behind him. Valkyrie was proud of him.

He stood up and looked around him, as if noticing where he was for the first time.

"So," he said cheerily, as if nothing had happened. "You want to go back home?"

"Yes please," she said, standing up beside him. "But how?"

"Well, whilst trapped in the horrible misery of seeing my old family, I pondered on how to get back as a side thought," he explained, "I noticed that the lake is like a giant mirror, and therefore I think that we can use it to get back to the future."

"Are you saying we have to go underwater?" Valkyrie asked, eyeing the freezing water.

"Yep," he replied. "Come on then." He took Valkyrie's hand and led her down to the water, Valkyrie trying to resist the pull like a stubborn mule. She sensed him cast a water spell, and before she knew it, they were walking over the surface as if a pane of glass had been laid across it. Once the fear of falling though had passed, she marvelled on how amazing the experience was. She made a mental note to get Skulduggery to teach her this handy spell, something she could add to her lacking water skills.

With the dark water licking their heels, they reached the centre of the lake.

"Now what?" said Valkyrie. Skulduggery shushed her, cocking his head to one side as if he was listening for something.

There was a low rumble at the edge of hearing, and then a loud hiss like steam. It was almost as if there was a dragon below their feet. Valkyrie moved closer to Skulduggery as the noises grew in strength until they filled her hearing. With a shattering crack, the surface of the water fractured, the jagged lines that had just formed as dark as obsidian. The detective duo both cried out loud as they were swallowed by the yawning maw and then engulfed by a nauseating blackness that cast a dark veil over their vision. They were falling through time, neither quickly nor slowly.

Then in a flash of light and colour, the future rose up to meet them and they hit the wooden floor of the old Necromancer's house. The impact hurt, but Valkyrie cried tears of joy when she felt a familiar surface. She was back!

There was a choked shriek from nearby, and Valkyrie snapped open her eyes, getting to her feet as quickly as she could.

She had landed near the foot of the enchanted Mirror of Time, and opposite her was Skulduggery, gun in hand, pointed to the head of the criminal madwoman Misery Shade.

"Thought you could get away, huh?" he said to Misery, and she hissed defiantly. "Misery Shade, you are under arrest."

Valkyrie smiled. It was good to be back.


End file.
